New Gift - Supriyo Sen - GE FOCUS FOWARD
Subscribe to the GE Channel: http://full.sc/12xcByI In today #39;s context of biological and ecological destruction caused by chemical farming, industrial agricu...

By: GE

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New Gift - Supriyo Sen - GE FOCUS FOWARD - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic Engineering: Somewhat Defined
These are my comrades explaining their own impromptu definition of genetic engineering.

By: BufordIV4

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Genetic Engineering: Somewhat Defined - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic Engineering on Genetically Modified Food
"A multimedia project for the 2013 Student Bio Expo by Abbey Landicho and Lucy Lu." This audio slideshow is about the topic Genetic Engineering about Genetic...

By: StudentBioExpo

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Genetic Engineering on Genetically Modified Food - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic engineering The world_s greatest scam_ 1)

By: Beo2X

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Genetic engineering The world_s greatest scam_ 1) - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kathryn Ruehle kruehle@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

New Rochelle, NY, April 25, 2013Delving into controversial and unsettling subjects such as the gender basis of violence, the new refereed journal Violence and Gender, launching in fall 2013, will explore the difficult issues that are vital to threat assessment and prevention of the epidemic of violence. Edited by Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Violence and Gender is the first and only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the understanding, prediction, and prevention of acts of violence, and will be published online with Open Access options and in print by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

"We have an urgent imperative," says Mary Ann Liebert, President and CEO of the company that bears her name. "There are differences in the way men and women exhibit violent behavior, and they need to be better understood and addressed to prevent tragic acts of murder and massive, often irreversible, injury. It is a serious public health issue."

Violence and Gender will be the international forum for the critical examination of biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, racial, ethnic, and cultural factors as they relate to the gender of perpetrators of violence. Papers in the Journal will cover topics such as gender biology; genetics; psychopathy; mental health; planned predatory behavior; testosterone, hormones, and neurochemicals; nature vs. nurture; films, television, and video games; and pyromania.

The Editor-in-Chief of Violence and Gender, Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, is recognized as the FBI's leading expert in psychopathy. Her expertise is in criminal investigative analysis, offender behavior, targeted school violence, workplace violence, and threat assessment. How gender impacts these subjects must be better understood to prevent the growing number and nature of violent episodes.

"We are becoming immune to tragic events such as Columbine," Dr. O'Toole says. "The mandate for this journal to help us better understand and hopefully prevent these tragedies is absolute."

Dr. O'Toole has helped develop a better understanding of infamous offenders, including Green River Killer Gary Ridgway and Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, and high-profile crimes, such as the Columbine shootings, Zodiac serial murder case, and 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics bombing.

"I spent my career studying the criminal violent mind," says Dr. O'Toole, "and now gratuitous violence is at an all-time high. This violence is well-planned, lethal, and extremely callous. The offenders are nearly always male. Does gender really make a difference in the commission of violent crime? It's time for a journal to take on this question."

Violence and Gender will be a primary resource for psychologists and mental health providers; sociologists; criminologists; educators; cultural anthropologists; probation, parole, and corrections officers; and law enforcement professionals at federal, state, local, and international agencies that assess threats and deal with violent behaviors.

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Violence and Gender Journal launching fall 2013

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Even as the final report of the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on open field trials of genetically modified crops is awaited, 51 independent international scientists with expertise in genetic engineering and biosafety protocols have approved the panels Interim Report. The report has called for a 10-year moratorium on open field trials of Bt food crops until adequate regulatory mechanisms and safety standards are put in place.

With Bt brinjal being the first-ever food crop sought to be introduced in India, its dossier went through international appraisal and evoked much interest throughout the world.

The TEC report attracted attention because of intense polarisation over the use of GM agri-biotechnologies in food and the environment and the large number of public and private researchers, investors and companies engaged in developing GM crops and associated Intellectual Property Rights claims, the renowned GM scientists said in a statement.

Since the Interim Report was made public, the Union Agriculture Ministry filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in favour of GM technology. After hearing the Ministry, the court appointed a sixth member on the panel.

This was opposed by Aruna Rodrigues, lead PIL petitioner, through her lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who said that in the matter of regulation of GM crops, the Ministry of Environment and Forests stood over the Agriculture Ministry.

Underscoring the need for science to operate free of commercial and political goals, the scientists said the review of previous approvals in India for Bt crops left the TEC in no doubt that India was not ready to make reliable safety judgments because of failures in procedure, inadequate attention to development of competent and independent regulatory bodies and lack of appropriate management of conflict of interest among scientific consultants.

The TEC provided competence and independence to achieve credibility. The science used by the TEC is sound and its recommendations are reasonable. It has not imposed any new rules or suggested a moratorium on research. It has simply called for adequate standards to be established, said the 51 signatories, including fellows of Royal Societies or National Academies of Science, scientists representing a range of research disciplines including plant genetic engineering and the creation of first GM food crop, tomato, in the U.S., which was later withdrawn for health concerns.

The TEC made 11 specific recommendations for properly regulating the development and commercialisation of genetically modified crops in India.

It recommended that product testing outside of the laboratory [field trials] be stopped until a comprehensive and effective process for such testing could be implemented. Except for a ban on testing GM crops for which India is a centre of biodiversity or origin, all testing can restart as soon as the government provides a robust and proper procedure, the statement said.

Taking note of the concerns expressed by the scientists, three eminent citizens the former Supreme Court judge, V.R. Krishna Iyer; the former Election Commissioner, J.M. Lyngdoh; and the former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, A.P. Shah endorsed and forwarded their statement to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Originally posted here:
Global scientists back 10-year moratorium on field trials of Bt food crops

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

How TPP will hurt America
On Wednesday, the Senate Finance Committee met to discuss the opportunities and challenges the Trans-Pacific Partnership could pose on the United States. The...

By: RTAmerica

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How TPP will hurt America - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

FORT MYERS NeoGenomics is winning market share.

That was one of the major takeaways from an earnings call it held for investors Thursday.

The Fort Myers-based company, focused on genetic testing for cancer, saw its test volume grow by 19 percent in the first quarter. Along with that growth came record quarterly revenue of $15.7 million, up 3 percent from a year ago.

Another takeaway? The company continues to aggressively develop new tests, adding to its already extensive menu of choices.

Innovation is very important to what we do. We are in an era of personalized medicine and we are introducing a lot of new molecular tests that are not only helping the company to grow, but also helping physicians diagnose and treat cancer better, said Douglas VanOort, the companys chairman and CEO, in a phone interview after the call.

NeoGenomics handles testing for pathologists, clinicians, oncologists and hospitals throughout the country.

The company reported profits of $300,000 for the first quarter, down from $603,000 a year ago.

During the conference call, VanOort highlighted the companys efforts to become more efficient and to regain profitability in the aftermath of a big regulatory change. The change, related to its Medicare billing practices, has cost the company about $1.3 million quarterly since it took effect last year. The company expects to overcome that hurdle later this year.

In the first quarter, the average revenue per test decreased by 13 percent from a year ago, primarily because of the regulatory change. But through newfound efficiencies, the company cut its cost per test by 5 percent from the fourth quarter, and its down 12 percent from a year ago.

We are not cutting costs, VanOort said in the phone interview. We are just finding more efficient ways to do what we do.

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Fort Myers-based genetic testing company sees record quarterly revenue

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Newswise New Brunswick, NJ Your genetic makeup can help determine how well your body will respond to weight loss efforts aimed at controlling high blood pressure, a new study confirms.

The multi-institutional study, led by researchers at The Cardiovascular Institute, part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, may help clarify how hypertension develops and progresses in certain individuals and also identify people for whom weight loss programs are most likely to help reduce blood pressure. Results were published in the current issue of Hypertension 2013;61:857-863.

The Trial of Nonpharmacologic Interventions in the Elderly (TONE) looked at 21 polymorphisms that have been identified as relating to hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus to see what impact weight loss and sodium-reduction programs would have on blood pressure. Polymorphisms are the elements of a persons DNA that make it different from anothers and allow for diversity in such varied areas as eye color, hair texture, and even blood type. The TONE study identified several polymorphisms that relate to weight sensitivity with regard to hypertension, according to principal investigator John B. Kostis, MD, John G. Detwiler professor of cardiology, professor of medicine and pharmacology, associate dean for cardiovascular research, and director of The Cardiovascular Institute of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The study sheds some light on an issue that has received little attention in the past, the researchers said.

There are more than a thousand papers discussing the question of what the impact is on blood pressure of decreasing the amount of salt you consume in your dietwhat is called salt sensitivity. But, there is nobody talking about weight sensitivity, and weight loss is equally or more important in controlling blood pressure, Dr. Kostis said.

Our work describes the variability of blood pressure drop in response to weight loss, according to a number of genetic polymorphisms, added William J. Kostis, PhD, MD, clinical and research fellow in medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cardiology Division, alumnus of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and member of The Cardiovascular Institute, who was the first author of the study.

Participants in the TONE studyindividuals age 60 to 80 who were already taking one or two anti-hypertensive medicationswere randomly assigned to one of four interventions: Intensive dietary intervention focused on sodium reduction Weight loss program Combination of weight loss and sodium-reduction programs Attention control, in which individuals attended meetings that discussed dentistry, podiatry, or other topics unrelated to hypertension, weight loss, or sodium reduction

Regardless of the intervention, participants levels of anti-hypertensive medication remained the same throughout, to remove medication changes as a variable.

The study showed that both weight loss, if individuals are overweight, and decreased sodium intake may each lead to lower blood pressure, and the combination of weight loss and sodium restriction is more effective than either strategy alone, noted Dr. William Kostis.

Physicians can put these findings to use today through a blood test or even saliva test that measures genotype, Dr. John Kostis said. They can compare the patients genetic background with the polymorphisms that have been identified in the study and counsel patients accordingly, offering advice as to which type of intervention may be more successful in lowering that patients blood pressure, he said.

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New Study Confirms Link between Weight Loss and Blood Pressure for Individuals with Specific Genetic Polymorphisms

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Undoing aging: Aubrey de Grey at TEDxDanubia 2013
Aubrey de Grey is a biomedical gerontologist and the Chief Science Officer of SENS Foundation, a charity dedicated to combating the aging process. He is also...

By: TEDxTalks

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Undoing aging: Aubrey de Grey at TEDxDanubia 2013 - Video

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Rett #39;s Syndrome: Finding a Cure Through Gene Therapy
A lab research project for the student bio expo 2013 by Mimansa Dogra I explore Rett #39;s Syndrome and the causes of this disorder, as well as treatments than c...

By: StudentBioExpo

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Rett's Syndrome: Finding a Cure Through Gene Therapy - Video

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NEW YORK, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 - Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01075729/Stem-Cell-Therapy-Market-in-Asia-Pacific-to-2018---Commercialization-Supported-by-Favorable-Government-Policies-Strong-Pipeline-and-Increased-Licensing-Activity.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 - Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity

Summary

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research "Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 - Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies, Strong Pipeline and Increased Licensing Activity". The report provides an in-depth analysis on stem cell research and development in India, China, Japan, South-Korea and Singapore. The report market analysis and forecasts for CABG, LSCT, Type 1 DM, Type 2 DM, Hearticellgram, Cerecellgram, Cartistem and Cupistem. The report also provides information on trends and pipelines. In addition to this, the report covers market drivers and challenges for stem cell research market.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GBI Research's team of industry experts.

GBI Research analysis finds the stem cell therapy market was valued at $545m in 2012, and is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10% from 2012 to 2018, to attain a value of $972m in 2018. The market is poised for significant growth in the forecast period due to the anticipated launch of JCR Pharmaceuticals' JR-031 (2014) in Japan and FCB Pharmicell's Cerecellgram (CCG) (2015) in South Korea. The research is mainly in early stages, with the majority of the molecules being in early stages of development (Phase I/II and Phase II). Phase I/II and Phase II contribute 67% of the pipeline. Stem cell research is dominated by hospitals/universities/institutions, which contribute 63% of the molecules in the pipeline. The dominance of institutional research is attributable to uncertain therapeutic outcomes in stem cell research.The major companies conducting research in India include Reliance Life Sciences and Stempeutics Research Pvt Ltd, among others. The major institutions include PGIMER and AIIMS.

Scope

- Country analysis of regulatory framework of India, China, South-Korea, Japan and Singapore - In-depth information and analysis on the pipeline products expected to bring a shift to the market positions of the leading manufacturers. - Market characterization data for stem cell research for CABG, LSCT, Type 1 DM, Type 2 DM, Hearticellgram, Cerecellgram, Cartistem and Cupistem. - Key drivers and restraints that have a significant impact on the market. - Competitive landscape of stem cell research in Asia-Pacific. The key companies discussed in this report are Stempeutics, Reliance Lifesciences, International Stem cell services, Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology, JCR Pharmaceuticals, ES Cells International, Stem Cell Technologies i, Pharmicell and Medipost - Key M&A activities, licensing agreements, that have taken place between stem cell companies in 2007 till date.

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Stem Cell Therapy Market in Asia-Pacific to 2018 - Commercialization Supported by Favorable Government Policies ...

Recommendation and review posted by simmons

The Stem Cell Institute, located in Panama City, Panama, will present an informational umbilical cord stem cell therapy seminar on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Miami, Florida at the Conrad Hotel from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Miami, Florida (PRWEB) April 24, 2013

Speakers and topics include:

"Umbilical cord stem cells: regeneration, repair, inflammation and autoimmunity" - Neil Riordan, PhD

Dr. Riordan is the Founder of the Stem Cell Institute and Medistem Panama Inc.

Dr. Paz is the Medical Director at the Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Paz practiced internal medicine in the United States for over a decade before joining the Stem Cell Institute in Panama.

Dr. Lowe is a psychiatrist at Amen Clinics in New York City.

Raymond Cralle is a physical therapist at Cralle Physical Therapy in Delray Beach, Florida.

After the talks, our speakers and stem cell therapy patients will be on hand to share their personal experiences and answer questions.

Admission is free but space is limited and registration is required. For venue information and to register and reserve your tickets today, please visit: http://scimiamiseminar.eventbrite.com/ or call Cindy Cunningham, Patient Events Coordinator, at 1 (800) 980-7836.

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Stem Cell Institute Public Seminar on Adult Stem Cell Therapy in Miami, Florida May 11th, 2013

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Public release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sue McGreevey smcgreevey@partners.org 617-724-2764 Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators have determined that one of the recently identified genes contributing to the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease regulates the clearance of the toxic amyloid beta (A-beta) protein that accumulates in the brains of patients with the disease. In their report receiving advance online publication in Neuron, the researchers describe a protective variant of the CD33 gene that promotes clearance of A-beta from the brain. They also show that reducing expression of CD33 in immune cells called microglia enhances their ability to clear away A-beta protein, raising the possibility that blocking CD33 activity could help the brain's immune system remove A-beta.

"Our findings show, for the first time, a "switch" that controls how fast microglial cells can clear A-beta protein from the brain as we age CD33 is the key," says Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, director of the Genetics and Aging Unit in the MGH Department of Neurology and senior author of the Neuron paper. "If we can find a way of safely inactivating CD33 on microglia, we should be able to slow the accumulation of A-beta in aging brains and hopefully reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease."

In 2008, as part of the Alzheimer's Genome Project, Tanzi's team identified four novel genes containing variants that increased the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's, the most common form of the devastating neurological disorder. One of these was CD33. The protein was known to play a role in regulation of the innate immune system the body's first line of defense against infection but how it might function in the brain and possibly contribute to Alzheimer's risk was not known.

In the current study, the researchers first found that CD33 activity was significantly higher in microglia cells in brain samples from Alzheimer's patients than in cells from non-demented controls. Moreover, they showed that the presence of a version of the gene that protected against Alzheimer's disease reduced CD33 protein levels in the brain. Importantly, the same protective version of CD33 was found to reduce levels of A-beta 42 the primary constituent of the amyloid plaques that characterize the disease. Greater numbers of CD33-containing microglia also were associated with higher levels of A-beta 42 and more plaques overall.

In an Alzheimer's mouse model, knocking out the CD33 gene improved the ability of microglia in the brain to clear away A-beta 42 and reduced the presence of amyloid plaques. Experiments with cultured microglia showed that increasing CD33 expression on the cells' surface inhibited their ability to take up A-beta 42, while reducing CD33 activity led to greater clearance of A-beta 42.

"Collectively these experiments indicate that CD33 directly modulates the ability of microglial cells to clear A-beta 42 from the brain." says Tanzi. "Our findings raise the possibility that inhibiting CD33 activity in the brain could represent a potentially powerful new approach to treating and possibly preventing Alzheimer's disease."

###

Primary support for the study includes grants from the Cure Alzheimer's Fund and National Institutes of Health grants R37MH060009, P01AG15379, R01AG08487 and P50AG05134. In addition to Tanzi, the Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, co-authors of the Neuron paper are lead author Ana Griciuc, PhD, of the MGH Genetics and Aging Research Unit; Antonio Parrado, Andrea Lesinski, Caroline Asselin, Kristina Mullin, Basavaraj Hooli, PhD, and Se Hoon Choi, PhD, MGH Genetics and Aging Unit; and Alberto Serrano-Pozo, MD, and Bradley Hyman, MD, PhD, MGH Alzheimer's Disease Research Laboratory.

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Alzheimer's risk gene presents potential treatment target

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Gene Sperling, President Obamas top economic adviser, sketched out a hopeful scenario on Thursday for the next round of budget negotiations.

Not only is there the possibility of passing a budget to fund the government through the normal congressional process rather than lurching from crisis to crisis with stopgap measures, but Sperling also sees a building of trust over the dinners Obama has hosted with groups of lawmakers in recent weeks.

Trust at least that there can be conversations that can be kept quiet. Trust that the president is willing to compromise, that hes willing toas weve seeneven take some disagreement from his own supporters, Sperling, who is director of the White House National Economic Council, said at an event hosted by Allstate, The Atlantic and National Journal.

That's a positive outlook for a process that has been thoroughly twisted in recent years--and, as National Journalrecently reported, for which the path forward is anything but clear.

Sperling offered one place where there wont be any friendly, quiet talks hosted by the White House. Earlier this year, Congress voted to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling until May 18, at which point the Treasury Department is expected to take so-called extraordinary measures to push back the date for a few months when the country exceeds its borrowing limit and goes into default. Then, it will be up to lawmakers to raise the ceiling.

In the summer of 2011, the debate over raising the nations debt limit became a looming crisis as Republicans tried to use the talks to demand spending cuts the White House refused to make. The dragged-out negotiations ultimately hit confidence, caused markets to tank and ultimately cost the U.S. its top, triple-A credit rank from ratings agency Standard & Poors. It is not remembered by most as a shining example of Washington at work.

This time, Sperling said, We just have to be very clear: The era of threatening default as a budget [negotiating] tactic is over, Sperling said. The president is not going to negotiate on this.

Suspending rather than raising the debt ceiling this winter allowed Republicans to sidestep a politically thorny issue. But negotiations this summer could heat up again, although it's not clear to what degree. Earlier this month, analysts at political risk research and consulting firm Eurasia Group wrote that "early signals indicate that this summer's debt ceiling fight will present less risk and less opportunity for fiscal reform than that of 2011." Some House Republicans have proposed prioritizing the nations payments in the event lawmakers cant agree to raise the U.S. borrowing limit before it is reached. Sperling rejected that idea. It is default by any other name, he said Thursday.

And although Sperling sounded a hopeful note about negotiations occuring through regular processes and growing trust among lawmakers, he acknowledged that any negotiations over the budget could be derailed by intransigence. I think we have to recognize that if people, you know, particularly in the House, are completely unwilling to compromise, theres nothing any of us can do, he said.

Originally posted here:
Gene Sperling, Top Econ Adviser: “The Era of Threatening Default Is Over”

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Study shows that blocking a gene known as CD33 could enhance the brains ability to clear plaque-forming proteins linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

BOSTON (PRWEB) April 25, 2013

Too much CD33 appears to promote late onset Alzheimers by preventing support cells from clearing out beta-amyloid containing plaques, said Tanzi in a release issued by NIMH. The same release quotes Thomas R. Insel, M.D., Director of NIMH, as saying, These results reveal, for the first time, a potentially powerful mechanism for protecting neurons from damaging toxicity and inflammation in brain disorders.

The CD33 gene that produces the protein was one of four new AD gene candidates identified by Tanzi and colleagues in the Cure Alzheimers Fund supported Alzheimers Genome Project in 2008. The study was cited by TIME/CNN as one of that years Top Ten Medical Breakthroughs.

In the new study, Tanzi and colleagues discovered that a variant of the CD33 gene that protects against AD, lowered levels of CD33 in the brain leading to more efficient clearance of beta-amyloid. Increased CD33 levels were observed specifically on the surface of microglial cells in autopsied brains of Alzheimers patients. Microglial cells are support cells in the brain that clear away debris, including deposits of the amyloid beta protein. The study showed that higher CD33 levels in the microglial cells impaired their ability to ingest beta-amyloid and break it down. In contrast, blocking CD33 activity enhanced the ability of microglial cells to clear away beta-amyloid. When Tanzi and colleagues inactivated the CD33 gene in a mouse model of Alzheimers disease, levels of beta-amyloid and senile plaques were dramatically decreased in the brain.

Collectively, these findings suggest that CD33 is a key mediator of beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain. The results imply that blocking CD33 would enhance the brains ability to clear beta-amyloid more efficiently, reducing downstream AD pathology. Tanzis team is now trying to identify drugs that can inactivate CD33 as novel means for treating and preventing AD.

About Cure Alzheimers Fund

In seven years, with $20 million invested in research, Cure Alzheimers Fund has a strong track record in funding novel approaches to understanding the causes of Alzheimers disease and the biological processes that drive the pathology. Cure Alzheimers Fund has supported 72 projects in 51 laboratories of leading Alzheimers researchers in the US and abroad. Cure Alzheimers Fund is a 501c3 public charity and seeks no financial gain for its founders, donors or researchers. The Founders and Board members pay all expenses of the Foundation so that all contributions from others go directly to research.

Andrea Garvue Cure Alzheimer's Fund 703-276-2772 13 Email Information

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New Research Co-Funded by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Shows New Gene May Hold Key to Treatment

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN, April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets announces the addition of "Global Transfection (Gene Delivery, DNA Delivery, Protein Delivery, SiRNA Delivery) Technologies Market (2012 - 2017)" to its catalogue.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769 )

Transfection is an enabler technology used for many cell based research activities with applications spanning production of recombinant proteins and recombinant cell lines, gene therapy, delivery of therapeutics and also drug discovery. This research report provides a brief description on transfection technologies, its evolution, comparative analysis, market landscape analysis, competitive scenario and emerging technology and application trends. Global research and development Network, Innovation and Spin offs have been discussed. The report tracks regional adoption and development trends, providing strategic recommendation to stay active and compete in the market space. An impact analysis of major drivers and restraints influencing the growth of the market is mapped for five year period.

Key Driver:

Advances in cell research and therapeutic delivery

Cell research is a major driving factor for transfection market, as more than 60% of the users are of academic institutions and researchers. Research in gene transfer is being performed in in vivo conditions for different therapeutic applications; there is a growing demand for new transfection technologies to address unmet needs for therapeutic delivery which is driving the transfection market.

Key Restraint:

Home brew Reagents restricts sale of commercial kits

Home brew reagents are still the preferred choice of reagents for transfection by researchers all over the world. Most of the researchers prepare their own reagents from their laboratory to conduct their research. This is true for most of the reagent based transfection reactions. This allows them to reduce cost involved in purchasing commercial kits.

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Global Transfection (Gene Delivery, DNA Delivery, Protein Delivery, SiRNA Delivery) Technologies Market (2012 - 2017)

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - South America Analysis and Market Forecasts" report to their offering.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in both the developed and developing world. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing due to the increased life span and increasing adoption of Western lifestyle risk factors. Predictive breast cancer gene tests can be used to identify women who are at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer. The Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing market has seen exponential growth in the US, dominated by Myriad Genetics.

Gene testing in Europe is mostly carried out by the state funded health sector, but increasingly private companies are offering breast cancer gene tests to physicians. Myriad Genetics' position in the market is dependent on it being the leading provider of the most common breast cancer mutations.

By the end of our forecast period, the competitive landscape will experience significant change due to the erosion of Myriad Genetics' position, as a result of the expiry of key patents, and the emergence of alternative molecular technologies.

This report focuses on the predictive breast cancer gene testing markets in South America, principally Brazil, and identifies unmet needs in the market, physician attitudes towards current gene testing, and the future of gene testing in the face of rapid technological advancement.

Scope

- An overview of Breast Cancer, which includes epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology and treatment guidelines.

- Annualized South America Breast Cancer Gene Testing market revenue and future forecasts from 2009 to 2011, forecast for 7 years to 2018.

- Investigation of current and future market competition for Breast Cancer Gene Testing

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Research and Markets: MediPoint: Predictive Breast Cancer Gene Testing - South America Analysis and Market Forecasts

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetic Engineering Morals and Ethics Arguments
Hope you enjoyed! Tell me if you think genetic engineering should be a thing below!

By: tilchapterthree

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Genetic Engineering Morals and Ethics Arguments - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced the launch of Vector NTI Express Designer, the latest advancement in its Vector NTI software platform, which offers researchers comprehensive and streamlined custom vector and genetic construct design and synthesis. The desktop software tool is designed for molecular biology, metabolic engineering, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology professionals who want to rationally design, assemble and order synthetic genetic "parts," optimizing genetic components for a broad range of applications.

An extension of the Vector NTI software offerings, Express Designer incorporates an integrated gene synthesis service for rapid sequence submission and order placement, effectively building a bridge from DNA sequence to gene synthesis. Customers can use the Express Designer software tools to design custom DNA parts and submit them directly to Life Technologies' GeneArt portal for synthesis.

"Molecular and synthetic biologists can now move from construct design to synthesis faster than ever before," said Nathan Wood, General Manager and Vice President of Synthetic Biology at Life Technologies. "This launch represents a true game changer in the ease, speed and accuracy with which investigators can design and order DNA customized to their needs, as well as the increased confidence they can have that constructs will perform successfully in their experiments."

Vector NTI Express Designer also provides sequence optimization to fine tune expression levels of cloned genes, enables construction of multiple vectors for compatible and simultaneous function, and generates variants from template DNA parts, devices, and circuits more effectively. In addition to designing and ordering custom components, the software also contains an electronic database or "mini electronic lab notebook" that allows researchers to maintain a searchable record of genetic parts, constructs and experimental results that can be referred to and utilized to optimize constructs and circuits.

"The Vector NTI Express Designer will allow us to tackle difficult design challenges in synthetic biology," said Christopher Voigt, Ph.D., associate professor of Biological Engineering at M.I.T. "The software automates and facilitates the design process with an intuitive graphical-user interface where well-characterized and annotated parts can be drag-and-dropped to create standard devices and advanced circuits." Voigt is a leader in the study of circuit design underlying the development of synthetic organisms, a process that requires constructing synthetic multi-gene pathways.

"The power of the Vector NTI Express Designer database is that it allows us to track and analyze our experimental results so that we avoid duplicating effort and focus on getting to the answer more quickly," said Steve Mayfield, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. "We can focus more on what we want our constructs to do and less on how to make them do it." Mayfield is a pioneer in the genetic design of organisms such as algae for biofuel production.

Vector NTI Express Designer is built on a the Vector NTI Sequence Analysis and Bioinformatic Tools platform, and so inherits many of the applications associated with that platform, including: sequence analysis and design, annotation, and illustration; molecular biology data management; open reading frame and restriction enzyme analysis and mapping; primer design; recombinant molecule design, including Gateway and TOPO cloning, GeneArt seamless cloning & high-order assembly and gene synthesis.

Built on the trusted history of high-quality sequence analysis and design tools of Vector NTI Software, Vector NTI Express Designer enables rational bio-design on the most popular computing architectures, including native Mac OSX 10.6+, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8 operating systems. Its plug-in architecture allows users to have confidence that additional features and functionality can be added to the platform and deliver more value over time while its Automatic Updater ensures that users will be automatically notified of updates and given the option to download new or updated plug-ins to always be running the latest, most complete software package available.

For more information, please visit http://www.lifetechnologies.com/vectornti.

All products referenced are for Research Use Only. Not intended for diagnostic uses.

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Bioinformatics Software aids bio-design and gene synthesis.

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Public release date: 24-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Nick Miller nicholas.miller@cchmc.org 513-803-6035 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

CINCINNATI Researchers report in Nature Genetics they have increased the number of confirmed genes linked to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) from three to 17 a finding that will clarify how JIA fits into the spectrum of autoimmune disorders and help identify potential treatment targets.

Published April 21, the study involves an international research team that analyzed 2,816 JIA cases recruited from more than 40 pediatric rheumatology clinics. It was the largest collaborative patient population of JIA to date, including patient DNA samples from across the United States, Germany and United Kingdom, according to Susan Thompson, PhD, a researcher in the Division of Rheumatology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who was a leader for the study.

"These findings will help us understand how the long suspected genetic contributions to JIA are driving the disease process, with the ultimate goal being earlier and improved diagnosis and treatment," Thompson said.

JIA is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood that involves several different but related forms. Affecting some 50,000 children in the US, the actual cause of the disease remains unknown. JIA is considered an autoimmune disorder, in which the body's immune system mounts an attack against its own healthy tissues. JIA can be treated with medications and physical therapy, but the disease can persist for many patients into adulthood.

Prior to the current study only three genes were associated with known JIA risk, although scientists have suspected the likelihood that more genes are involved. The research team used what is known as the Immunochip array to measure variation in the genes (DNA) coding for components of the immune system for 2,816 JIA patients in the study. Those findings were compared to the DNA of 13,000 healthy controls to look for genetic differences.

The analyses re-confirmed JIA's connection to the original three genes, identified a link to the 14 new genes and pointed to the possibility that another 11 genetic regions may be implicated. The scientists stressed that their work continues in order to identify additional genetic links and also begin conducting functional studies to pinpoint disease processes.

Although the current study substantially increases the number of confirmed susceptibility genes for JIA, the researchers said their data indicate that additional genetic risk factors still remain to be discovered.

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International study finds new genetic links to juvenile arthritis

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Apr. 24, 2013 A new study presented last week is coming one step closer to finding out whether or not an athlete's genetic makeup determines the severity of post-concussive brain function. Tom Terrell, MD, M.Phil., presented his concussion research entitled "Association between Genetic Polymorphisms and the Difference between Baseline and Post-Concussion Headminder/ImPACT Neuropsychological Test Scores in Reaction Time and Errors in College Athletes" on April 20, 2013, at the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine's Annual Meeting in San Diego, Cal.

This prospective cohort study is the first to link 2 particular genetic markers Tau gene exon 6 Hist47Tyr and APOE Promoter G-219T) to post-concussion neurocognitive function ("reaction time") and outcome in a group of college football and men's/ women's soccer athletes. Dr. Terrell believes this is one precursor to understanding the link between genetic factors and neurocognitive outcome for concussion in contact sport athletes. The prospective cohort study included 3,218 college athletes with the study group including 131 who completed a concussion/medical history questionnaire, genetic sampling, and baseline neuropsychological testing (Headminder and ImPACT).

Funded by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Foundation and the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), Dr. Terrell's large prospective cohort study was developed by a team of sports medicine researchers including Robin Bostick, MD, Jeff Barth, PhD, Robert Cantu, MD, and David Erlanger, PhD.

Dr. Terrell graduated from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and earned a Master of Philosophy (Biological Anthropology) from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Dr. Terrell is an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine in Knoxville, Tenn. About the AMSSM Annual Meeting: The conference features lectures and research addressing the most challenging topics in sports medicine today including prevention of sudden cardiac death, concussion, biologic therapies and other controversies facing the field of sports medicine. More than 1,500 sports medicine physicians from across the United States and 10 countries around the world attended the meeting.

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Study links genetic marker to post-concussion neurocognitive function in contact sports

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Released: 4/25/2013 9:00 AM EDT Source Newsroom: Mayo Clinic

WHAT: The Meet the Innovators Forum at the annual Edison Awards unites leading innovators and influencers of the 21st century for a series of discussions about topics relevant to the Edison Awards finalists disciplines. Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., director, Center for Individualized Medicine at Mayo Clinic, will offer a multimedia presentation that features four patients whose lives have changed because of Mayos initiative to drive genomics and genetic medicine into patient care through the Individualized Medicine Clinic.

WHO: Bruce Japsen, columnist and blogger for Forbes will moderate the Future of Individualizing Medicine panel discussion. Each of the following innovators are scheduled to deliver 10 minute presentations. Questions and discussion will follow:

* Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., director, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic * Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. * Leroy E. Hood, M.D., Ph.D., founder and president, Institute for Systems Biology * Scott P. McBride, shareholder, McAndrews Held & Malloy

WHEN: Today, 1-2 p.m. CDT, Thursday, April 25, 2013.

WHERE: Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago, Ill., 60602

NOTE: Dr. Farrugia will be available for interviews and commentary throughout the day. For interviews, contact Bob Nellis at 507-284-5005.

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About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. For more information, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.mayoclinic.org/news.

About the Center for Individualized Medicine The Center for Individualized Medicine discovers and integrates the latest in genomic, molecular and clinical sciences into personalized care for each Mayo Clinic patient. For more information, visit http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/center-for-individualized-medicine

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Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Director Gianrico Farrugia, M.D.: "The Future of Individualizing ...

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Public release date: 25-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Lauren Woods law2014@med.cornell.edu 646-317-7401 Weill Cornell Medical College

Cancer is typically thought to develop after genes gradually mutate over time, finally overwhelming the ability of a cell to control growth. But a new closer look at genomes in prostate cancer by an international team of researchers reveals that, in fact, genetic mutations occur in abrupt, periodic bursts, causing complex, large scale reshuffling of DNA driving the development of prostate cancer.

In the April 25 issue of Cell, the scientists, led by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, the Broad Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Trento in Italy, dub this process "punctuated cancer evolution," akin to the theory of human evolution that states changes in a species occur in abrupt intervals. After discovering how DNA abnormalities arise in a highly interdependent manner, the researchers named these periodic disruptions in cancer cells that lead to complex genome restructuring "chromoplexy."

"We believe chromoplexy occurs in the majority of prostate cancers, and these DNA shuffling events appear to simultaneously inactivate genes that could help protect against cancer," says the study's co-lead investigator Dr. Mark Rubin, who is director of the recently-established Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

"Knowing what actually happens over time to the genome in cancer may lead to more accurate diagnosis of disease and, hopefully, more effective treatment in the future," says Dr. Rubin, also the Homer T. Hirst III Professor of Oncology, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and professor of pathology in urology at Weill Cornell and a pathologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "Our findings represent a new way to think about cancer genomics as well as treatment in prostate and, potentially, other cancers."

The discovery of "chromoplexy" came after the research team worked collaboratively to sequence the entire genomes of 57 prostate tumors and compare those findings to sequences in matched normal tissue.

Co-lead investigator Dr. Levi Garraway, of the Broad Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and his collaborators then tracked how genetic alterations accumulated during cancer development and progression. They used advanced computer techniques to identify periodic bursts of genetic derangements.

"We have, for the first time, mapped the genetic landscape of prostate cancer as it changes over time," says Dr. Garraway, a senior associate member of the Broad Institute and associate professor at the DanaFarber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "The complex genomic restructuring we discovered, which occurs at discrete times during tumor development, is a unique and important model of carcinogenesis which likely has relevance for other tumor types."

Co-senior author Dr. Francesca Demichelis, assistant professor at the Centre for Integrative Biology at the University of Trento who also serves as adjunct assistant professor of computational biomedicine at Weill Cornell, worked with her collaborators to understand how widespread the DNA mutations and alterations seen in the tumors were across the cancer samples, and what that might mean in terms of cancer progression and, potentially, treatment. "Information about what alterations are common, and which aren't, will most likely help guide us in terms of cancer drug use and patient response," says Dr. Demichelis.

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Periodic bursts of genetic mutations drive prostate cancer

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Genetics vs machinery
What we should use to enhance human beings.

By: tyrone williams

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Genetics vs machinery - Video

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